10 Sad Love Songs That Make You Cry

Looking for 10 sad love songs that make you cry? The love songs on this list will make you think about a lost relationship, or maybe make you appreciate the partner or child you have now just a little bit more. While tearjerkers abound, it is the presentation of subtle lyrics combined with haunting melodies that causes this type of introspection. So, which are the 10 saddest love songs that are sure to make you cry?

“When I Call Your Name” starts out the list and is sure to make anyone cry. The artist is country sensation Vince Gill, whose haunting lyrics recount the experience of a husband coming home to an empty house and a goodbye note.

“Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton captures a father’s pain over the loss of his child. It is impossible to listen to the combination of the lyrics and the melody without feeling the effect of the sincerity behind the words.

“What Hurts the Most” is a country song by the Rascal Flatts. Even though this band is known for its happier covers, this is a love song that forces introspection and invites reminiscence coupled with thoughts of “what if.”

“Cleanin’ Out My Closet” makes the list of sad love songs that make you cry simply because it is a raw look at marriage and parenting. It deals with the damage parents do to their children and the pressure from outside. Written and performed by Eminem—an unlikely candidate for sad song writing—it is perhaps one of the most genuine sad songs that ever graced the airwaves.

“Help Me Make It Through the Night” by Kris Kristofferson was a 1970s classic. This sad love song has since been remade by a score of recording artists, including Gladys Knight. All popularity aside, the song offers an insight into an affair that has one participant entering into it for the sex, while the other one is in desperate need of a friend.

“Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M. brings teens to their knees. It offers a frank understanding of the torment that high school holds; it also disillusions parents from the notion that going to school is an easy undertaking for today’s teens.

“Tell Laura I Love Her” explores the loss of teen love. Ray Peterson performed this sad song in 1960, and while modern ears might find the lyrics overly melodramatic, there isn’t anyone who is not secretly touched by their haunting qualities.

“My Immortal” introduces the modern listener to Evanescence. For the full effect, make sure to watch the video that goes along with the song. It is an otherworldly contemplation that struggles with the chasm separating use from those who left.

“The Needle and the Damage Done” is a Neil Young tune that any parent with an addicted child can relate to. Parental love is one of the hardest affections to hold, and this tune’s inclusion on the list of love songs that make you cry is no accident.

“Concrete Angel” by Martina McBride is sure to make you cry. This song will elicit tears from any parent who is flabbergasted that some children are murdered by abusive mothers or fathers. The senselessness of these acts is heavily underscored.

Sample these 10 sad love songs that make you cry with caution. Their lyrics dig deep and the emotions they bring to the surface are raw.